Several school deans denounced the rant in a letter to the student body, and said the university was starting a disciplinary investigation.

“Although we cannot comment on the proceedings, this incident is already under investigation by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, and we want to assure you that it will be investigated thoroughly, beginning with interviews of witnesses,” the letter reads.

“We are alarmed at the rise of incidents of racism and hate speech in our world today. It is more important than ever that we continually demonstrate our core values and restate our commitment to a diverse, inclusive community on campus. At Columbia, we stand firmly against white supremacist language and violence.”

A Twitter feed in Von Abele’s name as a “2016 Independent candidate for President.”

He also apparently has two books in his name for sale on Amazon, “Time and the Multiverse: Selected Writings on Novel Physical Theories” and “Physics Reforged: The New Theory of Parallel Universes, Hidden Dimensions, and the Fringes of Reality.”

An e-mail from “Justice for Julian,” which describes itself as an anonymous group of Columbia students, defended Von Abele.

“We do not agree with or condone the content of what Julian says from a historical and factual perspective; however, we maintain that he has a right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the administration and tyrannical mobs of students on campus,” the e-mail reads. “We further maintain that what he stated in the recorded footage is neither racist nor a threat to students of color on campus.”